23 October,2026 09:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
MPSC question sets were allegedly leaked from the commission’s confidential section for money. Representational pic
A special investigation team has arrested an Assistant Section Officer of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) in connection with the alleged Drug Inspector examination paper leak, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 13.
The accused, Rohit Kolatakke, was arrested in Navi Mumbai on Friday. Investigators allege that he received question sets from Abhijit Landve, an Under Secretary who is already in custody. Mayur Thakre, a middleman accused of passing on the question sets to candidates, was arrested on October 12.
The MPSC conducted a screening test on March 22, 2026, for 154 Drug Inspector, Group-B posts in the Food and Drug Administration cadre. The examination was held at six centres across Maharashtra under Advertisement No. 116/2025.
According to the investigation, the confidentiality and impartiality of the examination were compromised, with question sets allegedly taken out of the commission's confidential section and traded for financial gain. The accused are also suspected of misusing their positions as public servants.
Police Inspector Mangesh Desai, in charge of Cuff Parade police station, filed a complaint on August 25, 2026, following the findings of the investigation. The case was registered at the police station under C.R. No. 0195/2026, with the complaint also referring to C.R. No. 109/2026 under the relevant Marathi legal classification.
The police have invoked relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Maharashtra Competitive Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
The special investigation team's probe found that copies of question sets selected by experts from the MPSC's confidential section were allegedly prepared and illegally taken out in exchange for money.
Investigators are examining the alleged roles of commission officials, intermediaries and candidates who are suspected of obtaining the question sets before the examination.
Those arrested earlier in the case include Abhijit Landve, an Under Secretary; Vishweshwar Nakate, an Assistant Section Officer who worked in the confidential section; and Gopal Marathe, another Assistant Section Officer.
Pravin Patil, director of Kautilya Academy, has also been arrested. The middlemen named in the case include Amrut Patil, Lokesh alias Gaurav Patil, Sandip Khalate and Bhairavnath Kadam.
Three candidates, Rutuja Patil, Sajid Sande and Vijay Kingar, were also arrested on allegations that they sat for the Drug Inspector examination after obtaining the question sets.
Thakre was arrested on October 12 for his alleged role as a middleman who supplied question sets to candidates. Kolatakke's arrest on October 23 takes the total number of arrests to 13, according to the police case details.
The investigation into the alleged leak and the roles of those involved is ongoing.
